ABA and on-line
Rob Nicholls (RobNicholls@bigpond.com)
Thu, 16 Oct 1997 22:25:08 +1000
I attended the CLC/CAMLA conference on five years of the Broadcasting
Service Act at Clayton Utz on Wednesday.
Kaaren Koomen of the ABA summed up the work that the ABA has been doing
using PICS as a basis of classification that could meet both national and
cultural guidelines.
I rather think that the idea is good in that content is rated by the web
page publisher in a number of areas. The user sets his/her own filter
levels that might correspond (broadly) to an OFLC classification or can set
filters based on cultural/religeous requirements.
Kaaren's paper was not available on the day, but there is a reasonable
amount of literature (or a fair number of web pages) on PICS.
The other aspect is that the membership of the ABA has changed substantially
over the last six months, this may make a difference to the approach.
The need for changes in the Broadcasting Services Act for on-line services
was clearly recognised at the conference.
Cheers
Rob
-----Original Message-----
From: George Michaelson <ggm@connect.com.au>
To: link@www.anu.edu.au <link@www.anu.edu.au>
Date: Thursday, 16 October 1997 9:36
Subject: Nigel Williams from childnet intl on ABC Media Report
>
>Suave sounding but the same old regulatory nightmare. Vague support
>for content classification, no attempt to address cultural differences
>or real recognition of the nexus between classification, self-regulation
>and content control.
>
>Very disappointing. I found the rejection of the 'old' Net for a new
>reality of commercial providers/content and mass market chilling. Also
>the supposition that this kind of glib feel-good view of what we want
>can be achieved without censorious outcomes.
>
>Yet again a reference to 'what the ABA are doing' So for the ABA members
>who are here,
>
> What *are* you doing to prove a non-censorship oriented,
> multi-cultural content classification scheme can work?
>
>-George